PAHWM $2/5 NLHE AQs (1 Viewer)

[Payback]

This hand occurred about a month ago and figured it was interesting enough to post.

I decided to do this one a bit different as I'm trying to avoid doing my taxes today, so I took some pictures of the action to go with the descriptions. Plus it's an excuse to handle my set that is collecting dust...

$2/5 max $1k buy in

Hero is in BB with just over $1100 on a $1k buyin.
UTG is sitting on around $500. Playing around 90/10 as he wants to see most flops. Hero has seen his hole cards more than once and he refuses to cover them so yeah... Has made bets on flops with nothing and taken a few pots or has folded when raised.
CO just rebought for $200. Lost to SB aces vs. His TP.
Button has $500
-older guy. Only played one hand in the last 30 minutes even when short
SB has $2200:
-middle aged white male, rec player, says he's only played a few times before.
-has won around 1k in the last two orbits, twice bet pot into PFR, seemed irratic
-RR a $20 bet to $50 twice previously with AA.

UTG limps

CO limps

Button makes is $25 to go

SB calls

Action is on Hero who looks down and sees

What now?

 

[davin]

i raise to 80

 

[detroitdad]

raise to 80 sounds good

 

[inca911]

Simple call. Avoid preflop coin flips if you think you are the better player.

 

[davin]

Simple call. Avoid preflop coin flips if you think you are the better player.

What happens if u just flat, and you wiff the flop out of position??? If you 3 bet to 80 and he comes over the top an squeezes the other player out you can now fold

 

[inca911]

Just my choice of a play on this example hand. I don’t want to face an all in shove by UTG without more info. A simple call prevents that, which I like in this situation.

 

[Highli99]

If the button is really nitty he probably has you beat right now. Raising 80 is probably going to result in a jam for $500. Are you willing to play for half your stack preflop with AQ? If not, just call and hope to smash the flop or check fold away.

 

[colter ripton]

I think 3 bet to around 100 to 125ish here is a better play than flatting. I think 80 is a bit small.

You dont really want this to be a 5 way pot out of position. I'd make the 3 bet and fold if I get 4 bet.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Any of the options are really not bad and really not great here lol. We have an open from a guy that hasn’t played a hand in 30 minutes so we are guessing tight. We are out of position with a hand that could have a lot of reverse implied odds if we flop top pair.

If we call most likely the rest of the table calls too and we are playing a bloated pot out of position.

I don’t want to raise though and get 4 bet by the Button and have to fold a pretty decent hand.

I vote call and proceed very carefully, especially if we flop top pair.

 

[colter ripton]

I'm thinking even 100 might be too small here. I'd go 125 or a little more. It puts his stack in a bit of an awkward position also. With a bet of 125 or more he should be folding or shoving most of the time.

Just because the guy has played pretty tight the last 30 mins doesnt necessarily mean that he has a monster hand here. Hes on the button and facing 2 limpers. Most players, even tight ones, are going to be putting in a raise here with middle pairs, Aq, Aj suited etc. Also, if he is infact a pretty tight player he is going to be folding alot to a decent 3 bet. He might even muck something like Jack's here if he is real nitty and you bump it up to 125.

I dont want to have to fold my AQ suited here to a 4 bet either, but atleast you find out right now if he does infact have a monster, or if one of the limpers is trapping.

I think you win the pot right here a good percentage of the time. If you get a call from the button or another player atleast you can narrow their range alot. If you get 4 bet by a decent stack you will have to fold.

 

[DrStrange]

Just so we are clear, is 3-bet a bluff? OR 3-bet is for value? What is Hero’s flop plan after a 3-bet? Hero will be firmly in “top pair” land with an effective SPR of 1 - 2 vs the original raiser <assuming he flats the 3-bet>.

I think fold and call are roughly equal and raise is the worst choice. I would choose call over fold. Hero is behind button’s range - based on a tiny sample though, 30 minutes is ~15 hands. AQs as a top pair hand has all sorts of RIO problems if we go with hero’s read vs button. I would rather play this as a “suited ace” hand hand, hoping for a multi-way high SPR environment.

Raising can be effective if Hero can expect to get heads-up vs button and get button to play fit fold after the flop. It is going to suck to get a $400 multi-way flop or get 4-bet/folded if someone puts in that raise

 

[Frogzilla]

Raise to $110

 

[colter ripton]

Just so we are clear, is 3-bet a bluff? OR 3-bet is for value? What is Hero’s flop plan after a 3-bet? Hero will be firmly in “top pair” land with an effective SPR of 1 - 2 vs the original raiser <assuming he flats the 3-bet>.

I think fold and call are roughly equal and raise is the worst choice. I would choose call over fold. Hero is behind button’s range - based on a tiny sample though, 30 minutes is ~15 hands. AQs as a top pair hand has all sorts of RIO problems if we go with hero’s read vs button. I would rather play this as a “suited ace” hand hand, hoping for a multi-way high SPR environment.

Raising can be effective if Hero can expect to get heads-up vs button and get button to play fit fold after the flop. It is going to suck to get a $400 multi-way flop or get 4-bet/folded if someone puts in that raise

I dont think making a 3 bet here is a bluff.

Why are we behind his range? He opened a hand on the button after 2 people limped not exactly a huge sign of strength.

Yes I understand that he has only played one hand in 30 mins, but maybe hes card dead, maybe hes just playing his position or hes bored. Hard to know after sitting for 30 mins with no real history on a player.

If i felt like i had a pretty good read on the player i might call and try to hit a monster flop. If i didnt really know I think I would raise.

AQ suited is usually ahead of most peoples button raising range.

We also know that SB probably doesnt have much, and the two late position limpers dont seem like much of a threat either.

I dont like to play this type of hand, out of position, 5 handed. You are going to lose a big pot in that situation far more often than you are going to win a big pot.

I think if I wasnt going to raise it I would probably just fold. Maybe call if I had a good read that he was strong, and I think I would get paid off if I flop a monster. If we make the call we have to proceed with extreme caution unless we crush the flop. Top pair, out of position, 5 handed usually isnt any good.

I also think that if the villian makes the call we can narrow his range significantly. We can either c-bet or check based on the flop texture. If he shoves well then we kinda just have to fold.

I doubt a 100 or 125 raise is going to get many calls from the limpers.

Maybe I'm way off on this one, I might be, but I think unless I have a good read of strength from one of the other players in the pot I'm going to put in a decent raise.

 

[BGinGA]

What cards is UTG holding? Also, his staged card cover is out-of-character per OP.

Btw, I'm folding > calling >> raising. AQ is a loser, especially oop.... even suited.

 

[Payback]

Love that we got a fold, call, raise to 70-80ish and, raise to 100-125 all presented. Love the diversity! Let's move on the with the action.


Hand: AdQd

Preflop: Limp, limp, button $25, SB calls

Hero 3-bet to $125

UTG folds

CO folds

BU folds

SB thinks for a bit and calls.

Flop $285: Qs 9d 6s

SB leads for $200

 

[davin]

all in

 

[Highli99]

First off, I need to commend you for the staging of these pictures. Your doing good work here and setting the bar for these threads. Even the card protectors. Just really well executed.

As for the play, we are probably ahead here with a fantastic flop. I’d probably call this bet some of the time and min-raise sometimes. I do not see the point in jamming. We will get called by sets and probably by flush draws. Hands we are beating will fold. I’d rather let the turn come and potentially get another bet out of SB.

 

[colter ripton]

Exact situation and player we wanted here. We even get to play in position. Also great flop.

I'm calling here and letting this guy bet into me. There is no way I'm laying down top top here to a loose player.

I'm also not going to go crazy just yet. I dont like it when unskilled players lead into me when I am the pre flop aggressor. Usually they are pretty strong.

There is a flush draw out there, so I can see a case for raising, but I think we call here and see what happens on the turn.

 

[BGinGA]

lol, fine pickle you got yourself into, Ollie. At least you ended up with position.

Could be crushing it (unlikely), could be losing badly (Q9, 99, 66), could be a coin flip (AKs, A9s, KJs, KTs, K9s, JTs, J9s, T9s, 98s, 87s, etc.). Just calling, since I don't think SB is ever folding.

 

[Run 'Em]

The small blind shorted you $20 when he called your pre flop raise!
As played, I agree with Colter and am just calling in this spot

 

[Payback]

The small blind shorted you $20 when he called your pre flop raise!

Blah.... Can you tell I'm in the habit of playing with $25 instead of $20?

 

[Forty4]

Blah.... Can you tell I'm in the habit of playing with $25 instead of $20?

It looks right to me. $20x5+$5x1

 

[Rhodeman77]

Hero has seen SB reraise preflop small with AA twice already so we can eliminate that and KK most likely from his range. QQ is very unlikely as well so the made hands we are behind are 99 and possibly 66, and even less likely Q9.

There are a crap ton of possible pair plus flush draw, two possible open ended straight plus flush draws!

If we have the best hand now (which we probably do) it is not ahead by much vs all the big combo type hands GB already listed.

If you feel like gambling, shove it in and hope to fade all his out.

When people donk bet it is usually to set their own price for their draw. But he bet about what hero probably would have bet anyways so it is even more strange.

I’m a little more risk averse in these spots so I would call and evaluate what he does on the turn and really hoping for an A, Q, or card smaller than 7 that isn’t a spade. So not too many good cards for us!

 

[Payback]

It looks right to me. $20x5+$5x1

Total should be $125 so $20x6+$5x1

 

[v1pe]

I think you made the correct play PF.

I'd probably just be calling here...your hand is too strong to lay down and you have backdoor possibilities if you are up against a set or two pair.

I wonder, would this type of player be leading with his draws? If we can't put spades, J10, or 78 in his donk lead range I would proceed with more caution.

 

[Rhodeman77]

I think you made the correct play PF.

I'd probably just be calling here...your hand is too strong to lay down and you have backdoor possibilities if you are up against a set or two pair.

I wonder, would this type of player be leading with his draws? If we can't put spades, J10, or 78 in his donk lead range I would proceed with more caution.

I think hands like J10 and 78 suited make up a huge portion of call $25 and call yet again the $125 bet. People see suited connectors as Aces crackers and want to see flops with them at almost any price at times. Leading with them is kind of strange though. Going for a check raise would maximize fold equity more than this bet.

 

[DrStrange]

Flopped top pair plus back door flush draw. In position no less. Vs. what appears to be a soft spot at the table. Noting that appearances can be deceiving. SPR ~4.
Hero should not fold, the question is raise vs call. I vote call. Hero wants villain’s full range in play. Raising might chase off worse queens etc.

I do worry what a recreational player is thinking when he acts like it is time for a death match. But the time for caution is past. Call flop. Jam safe turns. Jam if checked to on a not safe turn. Reconsider if villain jams a non-safe turn.

 

[Moxie Mike]

Since we don't know anything about the SB's propensity to fold, we need to assume that it's rather low. He also doesn't seem to subscribe to the 'check to the raiser' philosophy, so I think we can take his pattern of donk betting into PRFs and assume that in the pool of deep thinking poker players, he's in the shallow end for sure.

I think we can operate on the premise that he's not likely to be bluffing. He paid a high price to take a flop OOP, and I think this is one he was hoping to see.

Normally sets will check here, even from non-thinking players. My opinion is that he is holding Ax of spades... maybe

The case for calling his flop bet is to wait for a safe turn card, which is pretty much any non-spade that doesn't pair the board. Assuming the turn blanks though, what is the plan? What if he bets $400?

Another question is, what if the turn is a spade, 6 or 9? Are we really folding this hand to this guy if he bets again?

I don't think there's a clear right answer here. I think I'd flat call and see how he reacts to the turn card. But there is a case to be made for raising to protect your hand.

 

[inca911]

In the current situation, I'm caught in-between a smooth call vs. making a raise to $500 to see where I'm at right now (i.e., only raising if I'm willing to fold TPTK if faced with a push from the SB). I think I favor the raise as I get an extra chance to win. If I'm up against a set, I'm expecting he will push now to defend against flush draws. His bet could be a simple attempt to take the pot against a timid AK/AJ, or a pair in-hand that missed the board. I'm not folding except with an unusual read. I'm likely going to start talking here to try and get any info, likely representing a pair of 8s in my hand by talking about hands like A9 or KQ getting lucky with that flop. Anything to potentially get a reaction.

That having been said, do you find that you wish you were in a smaller pot that would have resulted from a pre-flop call instead of a $125 pre-flop re-raise? Or do you think the pre-flop re-raise is still the best play? With a smooth call, his flop bet would likely have been much smaller--even if he did hit a set--and I think the hand plays much easier overall.

 

[v1pe]

I think hands like J10 and 78 suited make up a huge portion of call $25 and call yet again the $125 bet. People see suited connectors as Aces crackers and want to see flops with them at almost any price at times. Leading with them is kind of strange though. Going for a check raise would maximize fold equity more than this bet.

I totally agree that J10 and 78 make up a large portion of SB call/call range...just not sure if a donk lead with a strong draw is consistent with our perceived player type. I would be more apt to put combo draws in SB's range if we saw a check/raise here, but that's a move that I would expect to come from a more advanced player.